This page will lead visitors to information about early Prince
George, the Hub of the North and the Spruce Capital of the world, situated in
the interior of beautiful British Columbia, Canada. If your ancestor traveled
through, or settled in the vicinity of Prince George, you just might find
something of genealogical interest here.

Please be patient, this is a massive project and will be undertaken
as time permits. If you have information to add, please pass it along so that it
can be added. However, it MUST be about Prince George and/or surrounding area:
early pioneers, history, geography, etc.

At this time please do NOT ask for specific information, as I
just do not have the time to respond, or to do research for you. For more
information about Prince George and BC, check out our

. Enjoy your visit and
come back often to see what changes have been made.

THE
FOUNDING OF PRINCE GEORGE

Prince
George has one of the longest histories of continued white
inhabitants of British Columbia. A fur trading post was
established here by Simon Fraser in 1807 for the
Northwest Company. This was actually the fourth post they had
established in what is now British Columbia in the period
1805-07, the other three being in Fort St. James, Fort Fraser
and Fort McLeod. In 1793 when Sir Alexander MacKenzie
made his epic trip across Canada he came down the Fraser River
but for some reason or other completely missed the junction of
the Nechako. It was Fort George that Simon Fraser set
out from on his famous descent of the river that now bears his
name back in 1808. The transition from trading post to
commercial centre was brought about by the building of the
Grand Truck Pacific Railway, survey parties for which began to
come into the area about 1906, with the boom period reaching
its height about 1910. During that period communication with
the outside was maintained by steamers down the Fraser River
to Soda Creek and thence by coach to Ashcroft to connect with
the Canadian Pacific Railway. No less that three town sites
were developed, South Fort George fronting on the Fraser
River, Fort George on the Nechako River and Central Fort
George in between. Ultimately when the railway company
acquired the Indian reserve and placed its town site on it,
the name Prince George came to be accepted. Steel reached the
Fraser River opposite Fort George on January 12, 1914 but the
bridge across the river was not completed until March. The
ceremony of driving the last spike in the railroad took place
some distance to the west of Prince George on April 5, 1914 at
Nechako crossing just east of Fraser Lake. Prince George was
incorporated as a city in 1915.